CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Scarlet, look at all the little fish!”
Tessa stretched out on her stomach and peered over the side of the dock, her ponytail hanging mere inches above the water. Scarlet grasped the child’s small waist to keep her from toppling in. “Yes, there’s lots of minnows in the lake. They’re babies now, but someday they’ll be big.”
“Just like me!” Tessa pulled herself up to a sitting position. Her sunny face never failed to lighten Scarlet’s heart.
“You mean, you’re going to grow up to be a fish?”
“No, silly. Little girls can’t be fish. I’m going to grow up to be a lady.”
“Oh, so that’s how it works,” she teased.
“You’re so silly, Scarlet,” Tessa said with a grin. She grasped her hand. “Can we walk on the beach again?”
“Sure. Come on.”
For the last several days, Tessa had been coming to the lodge with Cameron every morning. While he worked, Scarlet and her sisters looked after her. Scarlet usually spent the mornings with her. In the afternoons, when she went to Cameron’s house to use his laptop and Internet connection, Maggie and Harper took turns staying with Tessa.
It didn’t feel like babysitting to Scarlet. Mornings with Tessa had quickly become the best part of her day.
Together, she and Tessa explored the forest surrounding the lodge, and Scarlet showed her places she’d known well as a child. Like the rocks on a hill overlooking the lake where she’d watched many sunsets and wondered if her parents were somewhere behind the brilliant colors.
Tessa’s favorite thing to do was walking on the beach. She searched for pretty rocks and threw the ones she deemed as less pretty into the water. On hot mornings, they put on their suits and splashed around in the lake. With Tessa, she was a kid again, a happy kid free of worry. A kid who didn’t realize how cruel life could be.
That’s what she wanted for Tessa – to never experience the cruelty of life. It was impossible to shelter her completely, but as much as it was in her power, she would try.
They walked hand in hand along the edge of the lake, down the sandy beach until it disappeared into a mass of reeds. Then, they tramped down a well-worn deer path through the forest that circled back toward the cottages and the lodge.
“Do you want to go back to the cottage and see if Maggie has any cookies left?”
“Okay.”
Tessa skipped on ahead of her, humming a little tune to herself. When they got to the cottage, Maggie was gone, but she’d left a plate with some cookies and a note that said there was fresh milk in the fridge. Scarlet lifted Tessa onto one of the stools and then brought two glasses from the cupboard. She filled both with milk. Clinking her glass against Tessa’s, she said, “Enjoy your cookie, sweetie.”
“You enjoy yours, too.” Tessa lightly clinked her glass against hers. “I love you, Scarlet.”
Her unexpected words stole Scarlet’s breath. For a moment, she could only stare at the child. Tessa calmly ate her cookie and hummed to herself, totally unaware of the emotional bombshell she’d dropped.
Scarlet didn’t know what to do with love. Love was scary because it was too easily taken away. Even her sisters’ love couldn’t be taken for granted. She’d spent most of her life looking for love, then running away from it when it was within her reach. Her two ex-fiancés could attest to that.
But Tessa was different. She was a child, and she gave away her love without expecting anything back. Except maybe to be loved in return.
Scarlet wanted so much to be worthy of her love. She didn’t want to be afraid anymore. But in a few months, she would go back to her old life in Chicago. If she let this bond between them grow, Tessa would be disappointed and hurt when she left. Then, Cameron would be angry with her. She needed to sever this emotional tie before it was too late.
The thought of no longer having these golden mornings with Tessa caused an ache in her chest. There was no way she could give them up.
She put her hand lightly on Tessa’s head and gently smoothed the silky tresses. Her throat burned with longing when she spoke. “I love you too, Tessa.”
Scarlet added some pictures to the lodge’s website and then tweeted them out to her fifty followers. The number was ridiculously small, but growing slowly. She was working on getting included on the website for the Minnesota Tourist Bureau, as well as a bed and breakfast association. Hopefully, locals and people from away looking for a holiday in the north woods would see the lodge on their sites and decide it was exactly where they’d like to vacation. And spend lots of money.
She was so engrossed with setting up a Pinterest page for the lodge that she was surprised when she heard the front door opening. Tessa burst into the office and threw herself into Scarlet’s arms.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. She kissed Tessa’s hair, loving the scent of baby shampoo.
“I could ask you the same question.”
Scarlet looked up. Cameron leaned against the doorframe, his thumb looped into the pocket of his jeans, a sexy grin on his face. Damn, did he always have to look so good? “What do you mean?”
“It’s past seven, Scarlet. You missed dinner. Maggie tried to call but there was no answer. I had to promise her I’d find you before she called the authorities.”
“Oh, dear.”
She set Tessa on her feet and grabbed her purse, rummaging inside for her phone. “It’s dead. The battery doesn’t hold a charge for long anymore, and I forgot to plug it in. I completely lost track of time.”
“I’ll give Maggie a quick call so she knows you’re okay.”
“Thanks.”
Cameron pulled his phone from his pocket and called Maggie. “Hey, it’s Cam. Scarlet’s here at my house. Yes, she’s fine. Her phone’s dead and she lost track of time.” He paused a moment, then placed his hand over the phone. “She wants to know when you’ll be home.”
“Tell her I’m leaving right away.”
While he relayed her message, she stuffed her useless phone back into her purse and powered down Cameron’s laptop. She picked up her tote bag and her purse and got to her feet. “Thanks again for the use of your computer.”
“No problem. Like I said, you’re welcome to work here anytime.”
He gave her another sexy grin, the one guaranteed to turn her knees to water. Looking at his mouth reminded her of the kiss they’d shared. They’d both lost control that night. Much longer and they surely would have taken it further. If Laura hadn’t called…
Scarlet didn’t know whether to be angry with her, or grateful.
Both Cameron and Tessa walked with her through the kitchen, past the wooden table she loved so much. Scarlet stopped and ran her hand over the wood.
“I’ve been meaning to ask about this table. It’s gorgeous and I think it would be perfect in some of the new cottages. Drew mentioned you make furniture. Did you make this?”
He shrugged. “Yeah, I made it.”
His indifferent manner belied the tension on his face. Interesting. “It’s beautiful, Cameron. What kind of wood is this?”
“Reclaimed pine. I make all my furniture from reclaimed wood.”
“Do you sell your stuff in a store somewhere?”
He shifted from one foot to the other. “No, it’s a very small business. Mostly I sell by word of mouth, but I do have a website. I’ve gotten a couple of orders through it.”
Scarlet put her bags on the table. “Show me.”
His brow furrowed. “Scarlet—”
“Please? I’d really like to see what you have on offer.”
With a sigh, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit a few buttons. He handed it to her. “Here.”
Scarlet scrolled through the pictures of furniture. It was pretty clear an amateur had created the website. The pictures were small and didn’t do his furniture justice, not if the table was anything to go by. A coffee table caught her eye. She handed the phone back to him. “This looks like the table in your living room.”
“It’s the exact one. It didn’t sell and I needed something for the living room, so I kept it.”
“Daddy made me some toys,” Tessa said. “Wanna see?”
“Yes, I do.”
Tessa grabbed her hand and led her to her bedroom. She pointed to the train engine Scarlet had admired the first time she’d been at the house. She saw now the engine came with several cars that could be attached together.
“There. Daddy made me a train.” She ran to her toy box and began rummaging, pulling out some wooden blocks. “And these, and my table and chairs. My Daddy can make anything!”
“Yes, I believe he can, sweetheart.” She glanced quickly over her shoulder at him before walking over to Tessa’s bed and running her hand over the headboard. “Did you make this, too?”
“Yeah, I made it.”
He sounded almost angry, as if defying her to contradict him. He should be proud of the things he’d created.
“Cameron, do you have any idea how much someone in Chicago would pay for a headboard like this? You’ve way undervalued the furniture on your website. And your website could use an overhaul. I didn’t even see a contact page when I was scrolling through. I could take better pictures for you, optimize your site so it’s easier for people to find you.” Ideas burst into her head. “Etsy is a website where people sell hand-made crafts. If we got you on Etsy, the things you make would blow people away. The toys alone—”
“No! I don’t want to be on Etsy, whatever the hell it is. I don’t need a new website.”
“But I could help you—”
“No! I’m fine. I don’t need your help.”
“Yes, you do.” What was wrong with him? She could make things better for him. Maybe she could even make money for him. “Your website needs work. I could get you on social media, make you a Facebook page—”
“No!” He ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t need your help, and I don’t need you!”
Scarlet sucked in a breath, his outburst rendering her speechless. For a moment she stood completely still, pinned to her spot by his angry stare like a butterfly trapped on a collector’s board. His words reverberated painfully in her head. I don’t need you.
Self-preserving anger took over, saving her from crying in front of him. “Fine. You want to do it on your own, be my guest.” She brushed past him on her way out the door.
“Scarlet, don’t—”
“Daddy? Please don’t be mad at Scarlet!”
At Tessa’s plaintive cry, she stopped and turned back. She’d been so angry she almost forgot that Cameron’s daughter had heard their angry exchange. She knelt in front of her, wiping away a tear trickling down her cheek. “Honey, I’m sorry. Sometimes I can be very bossy. I shouldn’t have tried to tell your daddy what to do.”
“I don’t want Daddy to be mad at you!” She launched herself into Scarlet’s arms.
Cameron laid his hand on Tessa’s head. “I’m not mad at Scarlet. Really. I shouldn’t have yelled at her. I’m sorry.”
She watched his grim expression over Tessa’s shoulder. She wished she knew what was going on in his head. Was he really not angry with her, or was it something he said for Tessa’s benefit? Maybe she had been bossy, but that was only because she was so excited about his work.
“Everything’s okay, sweetheart.” She pulled away from Tessa and smiled at her, trying to show her she meant what she said. “I’d better go home now. Maggie is worried about me.”
She stood and met Cameron’s gaze. Worry, and something she couldn’t define, clouded his eyes. “I’ll probably see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” She made herself smile. “Goodnight, Tessa.”
Tessa hugged Cameron’s leg. “’Night, Scarlet.”
Scarlet hurried from the bedroom and grabbed her bags on her way out the door. Once outside, she ran to her car, wanting nothing more than to get away. Despite his apology, his I don’t need you played over and over in her head like a scratch on a vinyl record.
Why the hell did she care? She didn’t need him either.
But as she drove back to the lodge, she worried she was only lying to herself.
The pounding of hammers and the noise of men and machines on the job site gave Cam a headache. He wanted to snarl at everyone to shut up the hell up and leave him in peace. But of course, he couldn’t. The job had deadlines to meet, and they all had bills to pay. So, he stayed as far away as he could from the rest of the crew, only speaking when he had to.
He’d barely slept last night. The hurt he’d seen on Scarlet’s face wouldn’t let him rest. He’d done that to her. Him and his stupid pride, and his big, fat mouth. She’d only wanted to help and he’d turned on her. What a colossal fuck-up he was.
His self-induced brow beating stopped when a beat-up green Ford half-ton drove erratically down the lane toward the job site, narrowly missing vehicles parked along the side of the road. The truck veered off the road, coming to a sudden stop as the bumper kissed a massive pine tree. Cam ran to the truck but before he could get to it, the driver stumbled out of the truck and fell to his knees. When Cam helped him to his feet, the man leaned heavily against him.
“Miranda!” he shouted. “Where’s Miranda? I need to find her!”
This was the same drunk who’d shown up at Ethan and Harper’s wedding. He’d been looking for Miranda then, too. Scarlet’s dead mother.
Ethan ran up to them. “Willy! What the hell’s the matter with you? You know Harper doesn’t want you to drive when you’re drunk. You could have killed somebody.”
“Harper will help me,” Willy said, his voice thick and slurred. “She’ll find Miranda.”
Ethan exchanged a glance with Cam. “I’m sorry, Willy. Harper can’t help you.”
“Is he all right?” Cam turned to see Harper sprinting toward them. “I saw his truck go by. I was afraid he was going to hit someone.”
“Everyone’s okay,” Ethan put his arm around her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. He’s looking for Miranda again.”
Harper closed her eyes, her face full of pain. For a moment, she leaned against Ethan’s shoulder as he held her. But then she roused herself, pulling away from him and straightening her back.
“I have to get him home, let him sleep it off. He can’t drive anymore. He’s going to kill himself or somebody else.” Her voice hitched. “If I didn’t stop him from driving and he killed someone, I’d never be able to forgive myself.”
Ethan squeezed her hand. “We’ll keep the truck here for now. I can contact the police, have them pull his license. You don’t have to do it.”
Cam pulled Willy up by the waistband of his pants when the man started to crumple to the ground.
“I don’t want them to throw him in jail!”
“That might be the safest place for him.” Ethan kissed Harper’s cheek. “We don’t have to do anything right now. We’ll figure something out together. Okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Scarlet ran towards them. “Is everyone all right?”
Willy surprised Cam by pulling free of his grip and grabbing Scarlet’s arm. “Miranda! Thank God you’re okay. I thought you were gone. Thank God!”
He threw his arms around her, nearly knocking her over. Cam reached out to steady her, then stepped behind her to hold her shoulders securely with both hands. He wanted to peel Willy off Scarlet and toss him to the ground but for some reason, she and her sisters had a soft spot for the man.
Once again, he was reminded of how close he’d come to being in Willy’s shoes.
“Willy, I’m Scarlet, remember?” She was close to tears, her expression stricken.
Willy stepped back, looking confused. “Scarlet?”
Harper put Willy’s arm around her shoulders, and he rested his weight against her small frame. “We’re going to take you home now.”
Scarlet slipped her arm around Willy’s waist to help support him from the other side.
Cam put his hand on her arm and she looked up at him in surprise. “Ethan and I can come with you. Make sure everything’s okay.”
It killed him that her eyes were shiny with tears. She shook her head. “Thanks, but we’ll be fine.”
He hesitated a moment before nodding and letting her go. The two women half walked, half dragged Willy back toward the cottages.
“Why wouldn’t she let us help them?”
“I don’t know about Scarlet, but Harper feels some sort of crazy responsibility for Willy. She’s been looking after him for years, even before her grandfather died. She picks him up when he’s too drunk to drive, pays his bills when he can’t, sends him food.” Ethan’s mouth turned down in disgust. “Hell, she even got me to bathe him once. But no matter what I say, or what Willy does, she won’t abandon him. She knows what it feels like to be left on her own, and she won’t do that to Willy. All I can do is to help her do what she feels she has to.”
Cam admired Harper’s loyalty. Not many people would put up with the crap Willy was dishing out. But he wondered if she was enabling him with her kindness, making it easier for him to be a drunk. With her looking after him, he had no reason to change.
He should know. It was only when Ethan and Lydia threatened to wash their hands of him that he hit rock bottom and began climbing his way out of the pit of alcoholism. At that point he finally accepted Ethan’s offer to pay for rehab. For the first time he worked hard on his sobriety because he knew if he didn’t, he’d lose everyone who mattered to him. And that had scared him more than facing up to his alcoholism.
Scarlet’s stricken face haunted him. Maybe Harper was loyal to a fault, but did that mean she expected Scarlet to be loyal to Willy, too? He was afraid that when Willy hit absolute bottom, he would take the Lindquist sisters with him.